Automatic playing mechanism for musical instruments.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

v P. WUEST, JR. AUTOMATIC PLAYING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.1B. 1905. I

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'No. 851,470. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. P. WUEST, JR. AUTOMATIC PLAYING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 18, 1905.

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WITNESSES:

FILZZ PATENTED APR. 28, 1907.

P. WUEST, JR. AUTOMATIC PLAYING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 18, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

PHILIP WUEST, JR., OF OHELTENHAM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTO-MANUAL PIANO ACTION COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PEN N-' SYLVAN IA, A CORPORATION OF- NEW. JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC PLAYING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent...

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed March 18, 1905. Serial No. 250,703.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, PHILIP'WUEST, Jr., of Cheltenham, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Automatic Playing Mechanism for Musical Instruments, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

My invention may be empIoyed with particular advantage in pianos organs and similar instrumentscomprising automatic playmgmechamsm permanently ad usted 1n operative relation with their sounding devices;

for instance, mechanism of the kind compris mg a series of pneumatic motors or strike Pneumatics respectively in operative relation to the individual sounding devices and havin individual valve mechanisms controlle by a web of perforated paper which is progressed with respectto a pneumatic tracker bar provided with a series of apertures corresponding with a series of sounding devices in the instrument My improvements relate particularly to what may betermed the blowing mechanism by which the proper air pressure or degree of vacuum is maintain'ed'to operate said automatic playing mechanism. Ordinarily such mechanismcomprises a single 'main chest or bellows having conduits leading respectively to a. pneumatic motor by which the paper web is progressed and to the valve mechanism controlled by said web.

' It is an object of my invention to reduce the bulk of the blowing mechanism so as to ment is that the proper degree of air tension.

may beattained at the beginning of the pumping operation by the, disturbance of the static condition of a single divisional compartment of the chest and before the static condition of any other division is disturbed,

A convenient adjunctive feature of the;

general-arrangement aforesaid is the provision of pneumatic means tocontrol the ports by'which communication is established be tween the divisions of the wind chest and the devices operated thereby, such means comprising a manually operative controlling valve conveniently disposed adjacent to the key board of the instrument, and, automatically operative diaphragm valves, thereby controlled, respectively local to the wind chest.

It may be noted that, one of the advantages of the divisional arrangement of the wind chest, hereinafter described, is that all of the divisions or bellows compartments of the chest are mounted upon the same side of a supporting panel, so as to afford the maximum capacity in the minimum amount of space in the instrument casing.

'My invention comprises the various novel features of construction and. arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, FigureI, is a vertical sectional view of a piano em- ,bodying my improvements, taken on the line I, I, in Figs. II, and III. Fig. II, is a fragmentary front elevation of the piano shown in Fig. I. Fig, III, is a plan sectional viewof the blowing mechanism, taken'on the line III, III, in Fig. I. permit of its inclusion in a piano casing of or- In said drawings; the piano casing 1., comprises the key frame 2, on which the digitals 3, are supported by'the balance rail 4. Each of said digitals 3, is provided with an adjustable stud 5, and means operatiiely connenti'ng it with a piano action, which may be of any convenient construction arranged to strike the string 11, on the metallic strin rrame 12, which latter is provided with the usual wooden back supports 13, and the sounding board 15. Said casing 1, also comprises the usual upper lid 17, the removable front panel '18, enclosing the action, the hinged cover 20, for the manual comprising the digitals 3, and, the removable front panel 21, enclosing the chamber 22, below the key frame 2. Said chamber 22, is provided with cured, (conveniently by tacks 37,) at one end,

and are provided at their opposite ends with blocks 39, to engage springs 40, which both maintain said diaphragm valves 36, in contact with said leaves 32, and strain them in the direction of their length. Said bellows 30,

enclose the air ports 42, which extendthrough said panel 25, and are provided with the diaphragm valves 43, each secured at one end to said panel, (conveniently by tacks 44), andv are rovidedat their opposite ends with the bloc s 45, engaged with the springs 46, which both maintain saiddiaphragm valves 43, in contact with said panel 25, and strain them in the direction of their length. The leaves 32, of said bellows 30, being provided with the brackets 49, connectedby the pivots 50, links 51, and pivots 52, with the, pump pedals 54, said bellows 30, are thereby conven iently operated to alternately open and close said ports 35, and 42, thereby exhaust the air through said ports and create a partial vacuum within the chest with which said bellows are connected. Said pedals 54, are supported by pivots 56, on the frame 57, which in the operative position shown in' the drawing has its feet 59, resting on the floor. However, said frame 57, is pivoted on the brackets 28, so that said frame and pedals may be upturned within said' casing 1, through the doorway indicated by the dotted line in Fig. II, which may be closed by suitable doors indicated at 63, in Fig. I.

As best shown in Fig. III, the orts 42, open into the wind trunk 65, which t us connects the two pumping bellows 30, and, said trunk is provided at its opposite ends with 'the ports 66, and 67, respectively leading to the'two reservoirs 68, and 69, bein respec: tively in the pressure regulating. bellows 7 4, and 75, comprising the stationary leaves 76, and 77, and the leaves 78, and -79, respectively hinged thereto. The reservoirs 68, and 69, as used in the present invention, are

exhaust reservoirs, although it is obviousv that they may be used as pressure reservoirs I whenever the device is connected to a pressure operated instrument. Said bellows 74, and 75, are respectively provided with flexible covers 81, and 82, and the springs 84, and- 85,'tending to distend said bellows.

It may be noted that said reservoir 68, is of greater area than the other reservoir 69,

3 and the springs 84, and 85, are so propormatic valve-mechanisms, and, the reservoir 69, is connected by the conduit 89, with the motor by which the paper web is caused to traverse the tracker bar.

The ports by which communication is established between the interior of said reservoirs 68, and 69, and their respective conduits 88, and 89, are respectively controlled by similar automatic valve mechanisms, one of which is shown in section in Fig. I, comprising a flexible diaphragm 91, secured at its edges surrounding the adjoining ports 92, and 93, in the chamber 94, which ports respectively communicate with I the reservoir 68, in the bellows 7 4, and, said conduit 88. Exterior tosaid diaphragm 91, said chamber 94, is rovided with the conduit 96, leading to tie trunk 65, and comprising adjoining ports 97, in the valve block handle communication being established through said conduit 96, when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. II, in. which its recess 101, registers with both of said ports 97.

The ports leading from the reservoir 69, in the pressure regulating bellows 7 5, to the conduit 89, are provided with valve mechanism similar to that shown in section in Fig. I, as above described, and comprising 2. diaphragm 103, in the chamber 104,'which lat ter is provided with the conduit 105, leading to the trunk 65, and comprising the'adjoining ports 107, in the valve block 108, controlled by the slide valve 109, having the recess 110, and the operating handle 11 1.

Said mechanism operates as follows :The leaves. 32, of the pumping bellows 30, being oscillated by the pedals 54, the valves 43, are closed and the valves 36, opened as said leaves pass to the colla sed position of the bellowsshown inFig. II and, when said belioo rior of the wind trunk 65, and through the latter from the divisional reservoirs 68, and 69, in the respectivev bellows. 74, and 75. During the continued operation of the pedals 54, the pressure or degree of vacuum within the valve 99, is shifted to the position shown in Fi .11, so thatthe conduit 96, is opened 1n which its recess 101, ceasestoregister withcation with, the trunk covered by said diaphragm 91..

and t e chamber 94, exhausted by communi- 65; causing the diaphra m 91, to assume the position shown in Fig. in which the ports 92, and. 93', are un- It being desired to terminate-such communication by closing said ports 92, and 93; it is merely necessary to shift said valve 99, to a' position theports 97, in the valve block 98, so that said conduit 88, is closed and thereupon the atmospheric pressure. opposed to the partial -vacuum within the bellows 74, causes said diaphragm 91, to close said port 92.

It is to be understood that communication between the reservoir 69, regulating bellows 75,) and the pneumatic motor, through the conduit 89, is established and terminated in a manner similar to that above described with respect to the conduit be coupled so ing to the'conduits 88, an

, in contemplate them. Such construction 88; by manipulating the slide valve 199, by

'its handle 11].

Although I have shown the two valves. 99, and 109, arranged to be independently oper ated by a single handle, or, a single valve may slide block may be, provided with suitable recesses to control the res ectjve ports lead- It may benoted that as heretofore constructed blowing apparatus of the class'herelows, a main chest, and auxiliary reservoir bellows; said bellows being on respectively opposite sides of saidches't'which connects of course resents the triple thickness ofthe two sets of bellows and the chest interposed between them, from front'to rear of the instrument, and necessitates the employmentof a piano casing larger than an ordinary casing.

It is one of the advantages or the construction above described that the main chest be .ing dispensed with and the wind trunk 65, .employed to connect and 75, and the pumping bellows 30; all of the chest bellows 74,

said bellows are conveniently arranged upon the same side of said wind'trunk, so that the (in the pressure as to be contemporaneously ated by theirrespective handles lO0,;and 111, it is to be understood that SB/lCl valves oper-- has comprised pumping bel pumping bellows; of a the essentialfeatures of my invention.

I claim 2+ '1. The combination with a plurality of plurality of reservoir bellows operatively related to but separate and distinct from said pumping bellows and means neumatically connecting said bellows, all of said bellows being on thesame side ofsaid connecting means, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a plurality of pumping bellows; of a plurality of reservoir llows operatively related to but separate and distinct from said pumping bellows; and a wind trunk connecting said bellows, all of said bellows being on the same side of said wind trunk, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with two pumping bellows; of pump pedalsrespectively connected in operative relationwith said bellows two reservoir bellows respectively at opposite sides of said pump bellows; and, a

wind trunk connecting said pump bellows and reservoir bellows, all. of said bellowsfbeing on the same side of said wind trunk, substantially as set forth. Y

4. In blowing mechanismof the class described, the combination with a plurality of pum bellows; of a plurality of pressure regu ating bellows; and a wind trunk com mon to said regulating bellows directly connecting said pump bellows with said regulating bellows, allof said bellows being on the same side of said wind trunk, substantially as set forth.

5. In blowing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a panel of twopump bellows hinged to said panel; pump pedals hinged to said panel; means 0 eratively connecting said pedals with said pum bellows; a wind tru secured to said pane 'and having ports leading to the respective pump bellows; two pressure regulating bellows respectively secured to said trunk,-

all of said bellows being on the same side of said wind trunk; s rings normally tending to distend said regu ating bellows; a motor; means connecting one of saidregulating bellows with said motor a series of strike pneumatic valves; and means connecting the other of said regulating bellows with said series of strike pneumatic valves, substantially as set forth. i

'6. In blowing mechanism of the class deseribed,, the combination with a plurality of pump bellows; of means arranged. to independentlyoperate said bellows; a wind trunk connecting said bellows independent pressure regulating bellows operatively related to but separate and distinct from said pumping bellows, respectively connected to the opoosite ends of said trunk, all of said bellows being on thexsame side of said wind trunk; means tending to normally open said pres sure regulating bellows; a motor; strike pneumatic valve mechanism; conduits leading from the res )ective bellows to said motor and to said stril ie pneumatic valve mechanism; valves arranged to automatically control the ports leading from said bellows; pneumatic means for operating said valves, comprising conduits extending to said trunk;

and manually operated valves controlling said conduits, substantially as set forth.

7. In a blowing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a Wind trunk; of reservoir bellows at each end of said wind trunk; and a pluralityof pump bellows upon said wind trunk between said reservoir bellows, all of said bellows beingon the same side of said wind trunk, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 16th day of March, 1905.

PHILIP WUEST,JR.

Witnesses:

. An'rnun E. PAIGE,

ANNA F. GETZFREAD. 

